


Picking Up The Pieces

by collaborational



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Character Death Fix, Fix-It, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-24 23:41:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4938436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/collaborational/pseuds/collaborational
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>These poor people have been through hell and back. But they're not running out on the person who needs rescuing the most.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Behold, my very first fanfic. Haha this is a total wreck but it's MY total wreck and I love it. Enjoy~

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their friend is still down in the mines. Something must be done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmmmmmmmmmmmAAAAAAAAAAA MY FIRST FIC PLEASE TAKE IT

Sam slowly pried herself out of the snow. Her head was throbbing, her legs ached, and her body just couldn't make a decision on whether it was freezing or boiling. Shakily propping herself up on her hands and knees, she turned to see the burning wreck that used to be a cabin. The Washingtons were going to be pissed.

Still, she supposed this was symbolic in some sort of sense. The final remnants of the past that plagued Sam and her friends were now being consumed by flames, eradicating them from existence. She felt it would be a good time to make a wise, well-thought-out, intelligent comment to reflect upon the true power of the situation.

"Holy shit," Sam muttered.

Someone was calling her name, shaking her. She looked up. The smoke and fatigue blurred her vision, but she could still make out the face of Chris.

"Sam- Sam, are you okay? Wh-where's Mike? He made it out, didn't he?"

"Over here," another voice groaned. Michael was facing the sky, back-down in the snow. "That was some fucking bullshit right there. Holy FUCK."

"Couldn't agree more," Sam spoke. Chris clasped her hand and helped her to her feet. "Augh.. Everything hurts. And freezes. God it is so COLD.." She couldn't suppress a shiver.

The chilly air was nothing compared to what Chris said next though. "...guys... Where's Josh?"

Sam went rigid, and she scanned the surrounding area. Emily was leaning against a tree, desperately trying to catch her breath. Ashley was doubled over by some bushes, dry-heaving. No sign of Matt or Jess. Or..

"J-Josh.. He's still down in the mines," Mike managed to choke out. "Hannah.. Hannah's a wendigo. She recognized him. Dr-dragged him deeper. Couldn't follow."

Sam went wide-eyed in horror. "Hannah.. A w-wendigo.. Josh is still DOWN THERE?"

Chris's face was drained of all color. He moved his lips, trying to speak, but no words came out. His eyes were glassy and distant.

"Shit.." Sam breathed. "Shit.. We can't just LEAVE him there. We have to find him."

"A-are you CRAZY?" Mike said, pushing himself up onto his elbows. "There's no way we're finding him down there! I didn't claw my way out of Batshit Insane-Ville just to dive back in!"

Chris's face hardened. "I'm going down there," he stated. "He needs fucking help. I'm not gonna leave him there to join his sisters."

Which one? Sam thought hollowly. Will he starve down there? Will a wendigo eat him? Or.. Will he find something to eat first?

"I'm going with you, Chris. From what I've seen and heard tonight, nobody should ever go down into those mines alone."

Mike watched helplessly as Chris and Sam began to determinedly march off to God-knows-where. "Damn it.. You guys don't even know where you're going! You don't know where to start!"

"So help us look then, smartass!" Sam shot back. Mike winced. He knew that going back into those mines almost definitely meant certain death. But Chris and Sam? Without a guide, they'd wander those tunnels until they ended up dead.

Great. A smartass AND a dumbass at the same time. Mike got to his feet, dusting snow off his pants. "Fine. You win. But what about the girls?" he asked, indicating Ashley and Emily. The latter was now attempting to calm down the former. Judging from the smell, Ashley had finally tossed her cookies. Possibly more than once.

\----

"No way," Emily and Ashley stated firmly.

"He aimed God-damn sawblades at me-"

"He's the whole reason we got into this stupid mess-"

"He gave you a GUN, you could have SHOT yourself-"

"I fell into the mines and nearly got killed by a rock grinder and then YOU had the nerve to point a GUN at me-"

"He punched me in the FACE, Chris! And he punched you too! He could have killed us-"

"All for some PRANK after what happened last year-"

"ENOUGH!" Sam yelled. The girls fell silent, looking somewhat hurt. "Look, whatever happened last night was NOT because of the Josh we know. He was off his meds, he was psychotic, he's down there alone! Lost and scared in the mines, probably having a mental breakdown.. Don't you feel the least bit sorry for him?"

Both females had had their own unpleasant experiences while down in the mines alone. Thoughts of falling rocks and dark caves and the sharp jaws and claws of wendigoes came rising to the tops of their minds. Emily's face was masked with bitterness, but Ashley began to tear up.

"Those.. THINGS could have KILLED us.. They could have KILLED us, Sam," the brunette sniffled. "I-I don't want to go down there again.. Never, ever again.."

Emily simply shook her head. "Sorry, Sam. As much as he's our friend, you wouldn't catch me down there again, even if I was dead."

Chris let out a tiny, frustrated sigh. "Alright then. Cool, it's fine. I don't blame you. Tonight has been all sorts of fucked up." He couldn't hide the anger and disappointment in his voice. "But Josh is DOWN there. Someone has to do something."

Mike put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "We are gonna do something, Chris. We're gonna fucking save our bro."

With that, Sam turned on her headlamp and led the two men into the darkness, leaving Ashley and Emily sitting on the front lawn.

\-----

"Holy shit, they're actually going to go through with it," Emily muttered. "They're crazier than I thought."

"Do.. Do you think they'll be able to find Josh?"

"Fat chance."

There was a faint rustling behind them, and both girls jumped to their feet.

"What was that?" Ashley whispered.

"Don't move," her companion breathed, eyes locked on a patch of trees not twenty yards from where they were standing.

Several branches snapped. Snow crunched beneath feet.

"It's way too loud to be a wendigo," Emily said.

"Maybe it's a bear?"

"Wow, thanks for the optimism."

With a final protest from the trees, two figures toppled into the clearing. Matt's letter jacket was wrapped tightly around Jess's shivering form, and both looked pretty banged-up.

"...Matt?" Emily asked incredulously.

"Jess?" Ashley spoke. "Y-you guys aren't.. Dead?"

"Come on, you gotta have more faith than that," Matt said weakly, flashing a half-hearted smile. "Anyone mind filling us in on what the hell is happening?"

Emily offered her hand to Matt. "You at least TRIED to save my life back there, so I suppose you deserve some credit. Ash? You know what went down more than I do."

Ashley shivered a bit. "There's.. Way more on this mountain than we thought there was. W-Wendigoes."

Matt frowned in confusion. "Like.. Those wolf monsters on the full moon?"

"Those are werewolves, dumbass!"

Jess's breath hitched. "One of those.. THINGS.. I remember, it dragged me off.. Tried t-to rip my jaw off.. It ran away once Mike scared it off, I think, b-but the shaft I was in.."

The four huddled a little closer. "God damn, those things chasing us in the mines? One of those is what messed you up this bad?" Matt inquired. Jess simply nodded.

"They're.. H-horrifying.." Ashley mumbled. "And a bunch t-tried to kill us.. God, I was so mad at Chris for choosing Josh over me with that death trap, I almost left him behind that door, I could have KILLED him, I-I could have-!"

"Calm down, Ash," Emily murmured. She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You made the right choice, okay? He's fine. God, I hope the others are making the right choices."

"O-others?" Matt spoke, frowning. "Wait.. Where are-"

"Mike, Sam, and Chris climbed back down into Hell to find our psycho, Josh," Emily spat bitterly.

"They.. WHAT? Oh. HELL no. They are NOT going down there without backup. Come on. We're headed down there."

"What IS it with you boys and those fucking mines?" Emily screeched. "It's like you've all got a death wish or something!"

Matt's face hardened. "If there is ONE thing I've learned tonight, it's that you should never EVER split up if you can avoid it. Smaller groups get into trouble. We are going after them. Now. I am not gonna just sit on my ass in the snow when we could be DOING something to help."

"It's been a long night. Ashley is freaking out, Jess is all kinds of messed up.. We are in no condition to head down there. Matt-"

"I've made up my mind, Emily. I won't let you make this decision for me like all the others."

Emily blinked. "...excuse me?"

"You heard me, Em! I love you, you know that, you mean the world to me, but I'm not going to let my friends get killed and then hang back, wishing I could have done something! I didn't leave you behind on that radio tower, and I am not leaving them behind in those mines."

She let out a shaky breath. "...fine. But if we die.. I swear on my life, I'm going to kill you."

"That's fair," Matt said. He turned to the other two. "Ash? Jess?"

The blonde was already up. She was leaning on Ashley for support, but both looked determined. "Mike chased me down when I got taken. I owe him this."

"And.. I'm not going to leave Chris behind. He would have killed himself for me. I-I.. I can't lose him. Not tonight."

"Alright then, ladies. I guess it's to head back down the rabbit hole."

"Shut up, Matt."

"Sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay please tell me about any grammar/spelling mistakes, or any instances of OOC! I'll fix em asap. Thanks for the support <333


	2. The Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two separate groups enter the mines, each set on finding their friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM ON A ROLL TODAY WOW MAYBE I'LL EVEN UPLOAD SOMETHING LATER TONIGHT I AM JUST THAT ON FIRE  
> ON THAT NOTE SOMEBODY PLEASE GET ME A BUCKET OF WATER I'M ON FIRE

They had only been walking for a few minutes when Sam's headlight went out.

"Oh," was all Mike could think to say. "Uh. Anyone got any.. Bright ideas?"

His pun earned him a punch in the arm from Sam. "Ow. Okay, okay. But seriously. What now?"

Chris looked to the sky, which was now an inky purple streaked with pink and orange. "The sun's coming up. I guess we wait until dawn to search. It should only take a few minutes.. We won't lose much time."

The trio continued to push through the undergrowth, finally coming across one of the gaping entrances to the mine. The sun emerged over the treetops as they descended. Sam looked into the sky, idly wondering if any of them would see it again.

Of course we will, she told herself. All four of us. And she followed Chris and Mike into the unknown.

\----

Jess stumbled for the umpteenth time, and Emily rolled her eyes for the trumpteenth time. "Seriously, why did we bring her along again? She is in no condition to be down here. None of us are, Matt!"

The blonde gritted her teeth. "The others weren't either. They still went down. We're not turning back until we find them."

Ashley nodded. "I don't want anyone dying. N-not tonight.."

"Beth and Hannah are already gone because of us. We can't lose the others too," Matt stated simply. "Nobody is getting left behind tonight."

"I think it's technically today by now," Jess and Emily pointed out simultaneously. Matt groaned.

\----

**_They killed your sisters they murdered your family they caused this they must suffer_ **

"Stop it. Stop SAYING that. You're not real. L-leave me alone!"

Josh clawed at his face. He no longer cared that tears were running down his cheeks. He just wanted the voices to stop, he wanted the visions to go away...

**_Beth was killed and Hannah was turned into a monster but they are the monsters they have to pay Josh they have to pay and you have to pay too you couldn't save them you're just as much at fault_ **

"Shut UP!" He screamed to the empty caverns. Wispy shadows curled at the edges of his visions. Every breath of wind felt like an intruding hand upon his shoulder. He was alone, he was so alone, Josh just wanted to scream and cry and pound the walls, he was SO ALONE. Where were Beth and Hannah? Where were his parents? Where were his friends?

**_They abandoned you they left you here to die you are going to die Hannah's kindness will mean your end at a much crueler fate_ **

Josh shook his head. "No.. No.. Hannah wouldn't make me suffer! Don't lie to me! GO AWAY!"

\----

Chris stiffened. "Did you hear that?"

"We're blind in here, not deaf."

"Shut it, Mike. There it is again."

Distant words echoed through the pitch black caverns to meet their ears. Whoever it was, it sounded like they were in pain. Chris felt fingernails digging into his arm. Probably Sam.

"I.. I think it's Josh," she whispered.

"Shit.. JOSH! JOOOSH!" Chris ran ahead, vanishing into the dark tunnel ahead.

"Oh my God-CHRIS! CHRISTOPHER!" Mike desperately called after him. "That idiot's going to attract wendigoes, I just know it. He's gonna get himself killed."

Sam gripped his jacket and began to run after Chris. "Well then, we're all getting ourselves killed. Move it, Munroe."

Mike stumbled to keep up as Sam dragged him even deeper into the mines. "Sam! Samantha-! For fuck's sake, Sam, do you have ANY CLUE where the hell you're going?!"

There was another yell, and Sam picked up speed. "Now I do."

\----

The little group paused when they heard the shouts. "W-was that Chris..?" Ashley spoke tremblingly.

"I think s-" Matt's reply was cut off by a second yell.

"That was Mike!" Jess said. "It had to be. They're down here! They're still alive..."

"Not for long, from the sound of it," Emily muttered. "What do we do, oh fearless leader?" 

Matt coughed, aware that all eyes were on him now. "Well... I guess we go after them?"

"You sound really sure of yourself there, Matt."

"Well, excuse ME, Em-"

"Guys!" Jess exclaimed, exasperated. "Are we really going to start this now? We need to make a decision. Like, immediately."

"Let's put it to a vote, then," Matt shot back. "I say we go and find them."

"I agree with Matt," Jess said. Emily stuck out her tongue.

"Ash? What about you?"

"U-uh.." Ashley nervously pulled on her hat. She hated decisions like this. She could almost see the two options she could take in front of her, glaring at her, waiting impatiently for her to make up her mind. "I..."

She was terrified out of her mind. All she wanted was to be out in the sunlight again. But her friends were down there. Chris was down there.

Ashley swallowed dryly. "I'm... I'm going with Matt and Jess on this one."

Emily made a little noise in the back of her throat. "Ugh, you guys made it impossible to disagree. Fine, whatever. Let's go get killed."

\----

**_They left you to die you'll never see them again you'll starve down here if you don't consume you must hunt you must kill you must grow strong_ **

"Leave me alone," Josh sobbed. "I hate you! I hate you!"

His head was spinning, his vision was blurring, all he saw was a grinning maw, opening up to take a bite out of him, no no no no-

"Josh?"

Terrified, he looked up. It was another hallucination. It had to be.

Chris was out of breath, bruised and bloodied but alive, staring at him in utter disbelief. "Shit. Josh.."

Josh threw down the thing he didn't know he had in his hands. Teeth clicked shut, still dry and aching and so so hungry...

"You're not real," Josh said. "You.. You're just trying to trick me, aren't you?"

"I-I don't... Josh, we have to get you out of here."

"You're lying, you just want to hurt me even more, I know I'm never getting out of here-"

"For fuck's sake, Josh, just listen to me! You were going to eat that head! You were this close to turning into one of them!"

"I..." Josh slowly turned his head. Sure enough, the object he didn't recognize revealed itself to be the severed head of an extremely old man. He almost hurled right then and there.

"Josh. Joshua. Look at me," Chris urged. "It isn't safe down here."

"How do I know you're real?" Josh countered angrily. "It's all in my head, Chris! I've lost it! Just STOP IT!"

Chris's eyes grew moist behind cracked lenses. "Josh... I can't leave you down here. Please. Please just take my hand." He extended his arm, reaching slowly for the terrified Josh, who shrunk away.

"No.. No, you aren't real.. Stop.. Just stop, Chris, I-!"

Another hand gripped his shoulder. "Joshua."

Chris let out a relieved sigh. Mike and Sam had arrived.

Mike stared directly into Josh's eyes. The terrified man looked anywhere but into Mike's. "Stop this. Stop. You.. You wouldn't come for me, not after what I'd done, I could have hurt you, I could have killed you, stop playing tricks on me like you played tricks on Hannah!"

Mike cringed. "This isn't about Hannah, bro. It's about you. Come on, we have to go."

"No, I-I won't!"

"Please, Josh," Sam pleaded, stepping in. "We're not here to hurt you. I promise. We want to help you. We want to help you so, so much. You're hurting and you're scared, we know. So let us handle it."

Josh sniffled, tears trailing down his face again. "But I... This can't be real. None of it can be real. Please, please just make it end..."

"Okay." He looked up in disbelief. Chris was the one who had spoken, and Sam and Mike were looking on in shock as well.

"Wh-what?"

"I said okay. We'll end it. I promise." Sam seemed about to say something, and Chris shot her a small look before continuing.

“All you have to do is take my hand.”

Josh finally looked Chris in the eye. Well, that was progress. It was obvious the guy was still extremely suspicious and worried.

“And.. that’s ALL..?”

“That’s all. No tricks. I promise. We’re going to end this. Together.”

Josh trembled, hesitating. “I.. you really…?” Then he took a deep breath and let it out, long and slow. “...okay. I.. I trust you, Chris.”

And he took Chris’s hand.

\----

They froze. 

Footsteps echoed through the caverns. And they were getting closer. 

“Stay together. Don’t move a muscle,” Matt muttered under his breath.

They stayed still and silent as the sound grew nearer. It was practically on top of them-

Something slammed into Jess and she let out a shriek, toppling to the ground. “AAAaah! IT’S GOT ME SOMEONE HELP ME!”

“What the fu-!”

“MIKE?!”

“WHAT THE HAP IS FUCKENING-”

Ashley burst into a spontaneous, though nervous, giggling fit as Mike and Jess struggled to disentangle themselves from each other. Emily rolled her eyes and let out a small snort of disapproval. 

“Well, there’s ONE. Where are the others, Mike?”

“Uh…? I could have sworn they were right behind me,” Mike wondered, helping Jess get her feet back under her.

“And we are,” Sam spoke. She came out of the tunnel, followed by Chris. He had a supporting arm wrapped around Josh, who gave his friends a weak grin upon seeing them.

“...hey.”

“I’m not talking to you,” Emily stated bluntly.

“Th.. that’s fair.”

“Don’t be a dick, Em.”

“Okay, okay,” Matt said, stepping in. “Emily. The guy we radioed, they said we wouldn’t get help until dawn, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Dawn was like… An hour ago.”

A cold silence settled over the eight friends as they looked uneasily at one another. The implications settled in, and panicked thoughts began racing through their minds, each person too afraid to share out loud.

Finally, Mike spoke.

“Guess we run like hell then.”


	3. The Retrieval

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends finally regroup and attempt to find someone already looking for them.

Never in his years of being a park ranger had Cobb witnessed such a bizarre scene.

The Washington lodge was on fire, the teenagers who radioed were nowhere to be seen, and the bodies he and his partner Miller had found in the wreckage were like nothing he'd ever seen before.

"What the hell are these, anyways?" he asked, jerking a thumb towards the nearest body they'd seen in the remnants of the holocaust.

Miller frowned, carefully checking over the corpses while still avoiding contact. They needed to prevent contamination if they could. She could tell the police were going to have to get involved, just like what had happened with the missing twins last year.

"I'm really not sure. We should check the surrounding area more thoroughly. Maybe the kids went into the forest, or even the mines."

"We certainly can't rule out that possibility," Cobb mused. "Alright. One last check of the perimeter, then into the woods we go." He took the lead, eyes carefully scrutinizing the grounds for any leads they may have missed.

Cobb pulled back the branches of a nearby bush, and grimaced in disgust. "Miller, come look at this."

She came over to look. "Yep, that's vomit all right," she muttered. "Looks like it happened recently. A few hours ago at most."

"So... You think they might still be alive?"

"Going to have to leave that as a maybe. We can't be sure, but we can hope for the best. Let's keep looking."

\----

"Mike, for God's sake, what are you doing?"

Mike had suddenly diverted from the group and ran into the trees. "I think I saw Wolfie!" he called back.

"...what?" Sam asked, unsure if she'd heard right. "Wolfie? Who the hell is Wolfie?"

"Judging from the name, it's probably a wolf," Emily said bluntly.

"When would he have had the time to talk to a WOLF last night?"

Ashley mumbled something about Sam being too busy taking a bath to notice anything going on at all. Jess snickered.

"Hey, I didn't see you doing a whole lot, Jess-"

"At least I had an excuse! I was unconscious in the mines. You were BATHING."

The two bickered back and forth, and Matt shot Chris an incredulous look. "How long...?"

"Like, three hours," Josh confirmed, smirking slightly. He was still leaning on Chris for support, but his head was clearing. The group was stopping less and less for his sporadic panic attacks.

Mike announced his return via noisy crunching of snow and dead leaves. Sure enough, a white wolf was trailing behind him, and he had a huge smile on his face. "Okay! Let's go."

"Dude," Matt said concernedly, "Are you sure... Wolfie... Is gonna be cool? I mean, he's a wolf. What if he attacks one of us?"

"Nah man, Wolfie's chill. Belonged to the flamethrower guy. He gave me a bit of a scare in the sanitorium, but it's all good now. He had my back. Saved my life a couple of times." Wolfie sat up, and his eyes closed halfway, as if to say _damn straight._

"...right. Onwards, then."

\----

Cobb and Miller were closely following a trail of footprints in the snow when the wolf appeared. Miller immediately put up her tranquilizer, but her partner held out an arm.

"Hold it. Let's remain calm. Just a wolf."

"If you get bit, I get to say I told you so."

"That's fair."

They watched the white wolf, who stared at them intently for a moment. It then gave a small snort and bounded back into the trees.

"...huh."

"See? Just a wolf."

"Shush. I hear something."

Miller lifted her tranquilizer again, listening. It was footsteps. Maybe a pack of elk. Maybe more of those things they'd pulled from the remains of the lodge. Her eyes narrowed.

The wolf pushed its way back out of the trees, followed by a rather tired-looking young man. The canine sat down as the man turned to face the rangers.

"Oh, thank fuck. You weren't eaten. Guys! We made it!"

Cobb and Miller stared as seven more people struggled their way onto the path from the undergrowth. They looked like they'd been through a hell of a lot. Dirty, tired-looking, and covered in bloodstains, the group seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief.

"I thought we'd be in there forever."

"Do you guys have any water?"

"Or food? God, I'm hungry."

"F-food? Can we order pizza? Seriously, I am starving."

"I need to sit down right now." The woman with the braids collapsed to her knees, jarring the two rangers into action.

"No. No resting. I'm sorry, but we need to get you all into the chopper immediately," Cobb said. "God, you must all be freezing. Come on."

He and Miller waited patiently as whoever sat down to rest complained slightly before getting back to their feet. "Is that everyone? Are you sure? Okay."

"Uh, sir," one said.

"It can wait for the chopper."

"N-no, there's really something you need to know about this mountain."

"Tell us on the way, then," Miller told them. "We have to get moving."

\----

"Let me get this straight," the ranger said. She brushed some hair out of her face, taking in Chris's story. "You kids were attacked by... Wendigoes?"

"Yeah."

"Aren't those... Not real? It's just urban legend. It couldn't be true."

"They are real. The man on this mountain, he tried to protect us from them. He d-died last night trying to do that."

The ranger took a moment to think. "We found some charred bodies in the wreckage of the lodge-"

Josh let out a small wheeze. "Th-the what?"

"Uh... Mike and I may have blown up the lodge to kill the wendigoes attacking us."

"You. I-I... Oh my God. Okay." He swallowed dryly. "That... Alright. My parents are going to freak out."

The little group finally made it back to the property where the lodge once stood. Josh made a much louder wheezing sound when he saw the smouldering remnants.

"The chopper's parked just a couple of minutes away, come on."

Chris had to drag a dazed Josh away from the scene. "You... Completely leveled the place..."

"We'll worry about it later, bro. We have to go."

"Y-yeah..."

\----

They were in the air for about three minutes before Ashley broke down crying. Chris finally let go of Josh to help calm her down. "Hey, hey... It's alright. It's all over now, they can't hurt us now, we're safe..."

Josh took a shaky breath. The events of the night before were starting to work their way through his head again. The screaming, the tears, the horror he had caused.

And then the wendigoes.

His thoughts immediately jumped to Hannah. She wasn't dead, he could have done something, but he abandoned her, they all did, and then-

A hand clamped on his shoulder, and he jumped. Sam was looking him in the eyes. "Josh. You're freaking out again. Is everything okay?"

Slowly, he shook his head no. "H-Hannah... She was still alive, and she was left behind, g-got turned into that THING... She suffered. And none of us even knew. We didn't do anything."

"I... I think the blast finished her, Josh. She can at least rest in peace now."

Josh let out a choked sob. He wasn't even sure if that made him feel better or worse. He squeezed his eyes shut against the tears. 

He felt something gently pressing up against him, pulling him close. Sam had wrapped him in a hug.

"It's okay," she murmured soothingly. "It's okay. You're still here, Josh. You are still here. We all are."

The dam in his chest broke, and he cried into Sam's jacket for the remainder of the helicopter ride, grateful for the warmth.


	4. The Interviews

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eight survivors are asked to explain what happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it's rather short today... I tried something new where you can't see who's speaking during the interviews. You gotta guess from clues in the context. ;)

Thompson nodded. "Alright, then. You two are dismissed."

Cobb and Miller excused themselves from the police station, leaving the desk worker alone with these teenagers. Eight bloodied, tired, probably scared-out-of-their-minds teenagers. And a wolf for some reason. The wolf had had to be put outside, much to its owner's dismay.

Thompson shuffled the newly filed paperwork from the rangers. "All right. Come with me," he said. He came out from behind the desk and led the small crowd in through a door. 

"You'll be interrogated one at a time, and we'd like you to wait in here so you're not cluttering the waiting room. You'll be released to the parent or guardian you choose to contact afterwards." Thompson waited for them all to give signs that they'd understood, then nodded. "Alright then. Michael Munroe, you're first. Go through that door and take a seat. You'll be asked a few questions based on the paperwork Miller and Cobb filed..."

\----

"Yeah, Jess got taken by one of them. Dragged practically halfway down the mountain. I managed to catch up, but she fell down an elevator shaft... It's a miracle she's still alive. I'm so happy she is, you-you have no idea how relieved I am."

"It was so dark down there. I remember being taken. God, it was so cold down there. Everything was sore, but I just... I just knew I had to get out of there, you know? I'm not just gonna sit there and let myself get eaten after I survived THAT."

"Right, Matt and I radioed for help. He's been an absolute saint tonight, putting up with all sorts of bullshit. Even risked his own neck to try and save mine when the radio tower collapsed... What? No. I don't have a clue how that happened. Maybe it was the cold shrinking the metal, loosening it up. Or it could have just been really really old. Who knows?"

"The old man, he was protecting us the whole time. I... I watched him die right in front of me. Man, he would have been pissed if he found out we went back into wendigo territory on purpose. But... We just couldn't leave Josh. He... Whatever was waiting for him down there, it was a fate he didn't deserve."

"Where to begin with last night? I took a while to unwind, everything's normal, and when I come back Josh is putting on the most terrifying, elaborate prank I've ever seen. Not to mention the flesh eating monsters. Did I mention those? Because there's not a doubt in my mind that there are more of them up there."

"It's really all just fading into a blur. The elk, the tower, the mines... I remember trying to save Emily. I remember finding Jess. Man, last night was... It was a mess. I'm going to have nightmares for the rest of my life. I just... I'm so TIRED."

"I-I'm sorry... It was so scary, I'm sorry... Josh's p-pranks... I thought Ch-Chris was a-actually going to sh-shoot me... I was t-terrified, I almost l-locked him o-out, I almost threw him to the w-wendigoes! I'm ... I'm n-no better than th-those monsters..."

"This wasn't the plan, I just wanted to scare them, make them feel like my sisters must have felt. I was just so angry. I was off the meds, I wasn't thinking straight, I KNOW. I could have gotten everyone killed for the sake of fucking revenge. And then there's the lodge... I'm dead."

"Oh, the lodge? It was kind of a spur of the moment decision, you know? A gas pipe broke, there was a way to make a spark and kill the wendigoes... You know, maybe that's why we made that stupid-ass decision to go back into the mines. We were high as kites on that fucking gas. Heh... I'm actually kind of surprised we didn't see any wendigoes while we were down there..."

"Matt, yeah. Came out of nowhere. Not like I needed him. I can totally handle myself. Still, it's kind of freezing down in the mines in the middle of winter, and I was a bit underdressed at the time... So yeah. I was glad for the company."

"God, am I glad those morons came to their senses. Mike was going to put a bullet through my eye because I got bitten. Ashley didn't bother speaking up either, not until Mike put the damn gun away. Nobody bothered coming to my rescue. The worst part of my night."

"It's chilling down in those mines. Even when you know daylight is overhead, it's just that much more terrifying. The darkness swallows everything. It's impossible to see down there. You have to rely on your other senses to get you through there. Kind of puts shit into perspective, you know?"

"I'm still amazed we managed to find him. It was Chris that ran ahead first. I don't know how he didn't break his nose on a cave wall or something. I know Mike and I tripped about two dozen times each trying to follow him. Say what you will about that guy, clumsy or not, he is DETERMINED."

"Please, I-I don't want to talk about this anymore. Are they okay? The others? They're not freaking out, are they? I-I need to talk to Em. Wendigoes, yeah, sure. There were maybe... Three of them in the mines when I found Jess."

"I-I remember hearing Jess screaming. But... I was too scared to ch-check. She's alive, M-Matt kept her safe, but I just... I just feel so guilty. First Chris, then her. I-I'm sorry."

"I don't want to talk anymore. Stop asking me these questions. Please just stop. Leave me alone, please. I just want to go home."

\----

Josh finally came back into the waiting room. Sam was pacing nervously around the room, Chris was calming a panic-stricken Ashley, Mike and Jess were huddled in a corner exchanging hushed words, and Emily was silently tolerating a snoozing Matt leaning on her shoulder.

Sam broke into a relieved smile when Josh came into the room. "Good. That's everyone, then."

"Y-yeah."

"We're being retrieved to go home soon. You sure you're going to be okay?"

"I doubt it," Josh mumbled. "What about you?"

"I'm sure once the adrenaline rush finally wears off, I'm going to be sick in bed for a week."

"There's going to be a lot of therapy. It's gonna suck."

"Oh, really? That seems like it would be such a fun time to me."

A beep outside made everyone jump. Matt jerked awake. "H-huh..?"

Sam checked out the window. "Someone's ride is here."

"Oh, uh, that's mine," Mike said. He started for the door. Jess and Sam both let out a loud "NO!"

"Holy-" He stopped, balancing on one foot as he tried to scan the area around him. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! You scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry," Jess said, flustered, and Sam mumbled, "Reflexes."

"We're going to give each other heart attacks if this keeps up," Mike groaned. "Can't even get out the door."

"Still way too jumpy from what just happened," Emily said. "I know I'd rather not let Matt out of my sight."

"And I'm worried about Ashley," Chris spoke. "She's... Kind of a nervous wreck right now."

"So..." Mike said slowly. "Splitting up is a super bad idea then."

"Basically, yeah."

"Well, then what DO we do?"

"...Groups of two?"

"No way," Matt mumbled, still somewhat groggy. "I will never be alone with just one other person if I can help it. Pairs are exactly what happened last night. Look how that turned out."

Everyone gave a collective shudder.

"So... What DO we do, then?"


	5. The Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surviving a night of hell doesn't come without its long-term effects.

Each of them told themselves they wouldn't sleep. But after explaining to the Washingtons about the situation, having a much needed meal and drink of water, and explaining the events of last night a second time, it was hard not to feel tired.

Already groggy, Matt and Josh were the first ones to doze off. The others watched them closely at first, huddled together in the living room of the Washington household. Despite their best efforts, exhaustion caught up to them. One by one, the group drifted into slumber.

Dreams weren't pleasant.

\----

Chris found himself pounding on the door of the lodge. "Ash! ASHLEY! Let me in!"

She seemed cold and distant, and held the door shut as Chris frantically rattled the knob.

"It's right behind me, Ashley, let me in-!"

There was a loud hissing noise. Long, cold fingers wrapped around his neck, and Chris was lifted into the air. He frantically kicked at the empty space beneath him. The pressure on his throat kept him from breathing, or screaming for help.

The thing brought up its other hand. Chris only had time to note the sharp claws before it flicked towards him.

Everything was red.

\----

Emily swallowed dryly as the muzzle of the gun pointed towards her. Mike was eerily calm.

"You're insane. It's just a bite, I'm fine..."

"How do we know they don't work like zombies? We can't risk this, Em."

"You're really going to kill me?" She was starting to get nervous. He looked dead serious.

"Mike, you can't do this. Please, I'll be fine, you have to listen-"

She saw his finger tighten over the trigger, and then Emily knew nothing.

\----

"Jess?"

Ashley wandered down the dark mine alone. She could have sworn she heard a scream. It had to be Jessica.

A rattling trapdoor was right ahead of her. Slowly, she approached it, reaching for the handle.

"Jess...? Is that you?"

The trapdoor flung open, and a dark shape shot out of it, pinning her to the cave wall. 

She didn't even have time to scream. No air, no air, she couldn't breathe-

Ashley shuddered as something sunk into her neck. 

\----

Matt desperately reached for Emily's hand. "Just hang on, I've almost got you!"

The tower beneath them groaned one last time and finally broke free of the cliff. The only thing that could be heard over the metallic din were twin screams of horror as the radio tower descended into the chasm below.

Matt's limbs went every which way. He couldn't tell which way was up. It was all a blur.

The ground was much closer than he expected. He groaned into a snow drift.

"Ugh... Em...?"

The young man looked up in time to see the rest of the tower descending upon him.

\----

The snow was sharp and cold beneath her. Rocks tore at her arms, legs, and back as Jess screamed herself hoarse.

"No-! No-! MIKE! HEEEELP!"

After an eternity, she was held up eye to eye with SOMETHING. Twisted flesh, sunken eyes, and sharp, sharp teeth...

Jess let out another shriek, silenced when a claw sunk into her jaw. Flesh tore, bone snapped, and she seized up.

The blood was coming thick and fast now. She choked on it, it was everywhere, she couldn't breathe.

Her vision dimmed, and the iron grip on her was released. The last thing Jess remembered was falling.

\----

The thing was right next to her. Sam held perfectly still. A tiny bead of sweat dripped from her brow.

It snuffled around her, clicking its teeth. Then it shrieked.

It was too much. Sam let out a choked sob that wracked her entire body.

The monster's eyes lit up. It had found its prize. Sam was seized around the neck, and she gasped in pain as a claw sunk into her stomach.

It let go, and Sam wheezed. Her limbs were cold, her chest was cold, everything was just so cold.

\----

Mike watched in horror as the wendigoes broke through. Wolfie snarled in defiance and jumped towards one. It promptly seized the canine and ripped it in half. Mike let out a strangled cry.

The wendigo discarded the body of the wolf and crawled towards him. He yelled as sharp teeth sunk into his arm, ripping it away.

"A... Ah..." He fell to his knees, clutching at the bloody stump. The wendigo opened its jaws and lunged for his head, and Mike closed his eyes.

\----

"Hannah! Hannah, it's me! It's Josh! Don't hurt me, please!"

The monster in front of him snarled. It showed no signs of recognition. The claws scraping his head began to tighten. Excruciating pain lanced through his cranium.

"Hannah! No! Pl-please!!"

He heard a deep cracking noise, and the pain increased further. It felt like his entire head was on fire.

"Hannah! HANNAH--"

\----

Josh inhaled sharply. He was shaking and covered in sweat. Gross.

It must have been a dream. A really fucked up dream. He was used to them. Guess it was just another variation of a nightmare that he was going to have to get used to.

He looked around. The others had dozed off in varying positions, and none of them looked comfortable. Matt and Emily were sprawled awkwardly across the couch, Sam, Mike, and Ashley were stretched out on the floor, Jess’s head rested against the table, and somehow Chris had fallen asleep standing up.

He snickered slightly, already feeling a little bit better. Josh stretched and got to his feet, annoyed by the small crick in his neck.

A small noise came from one of the people still asleep. He looked at his friends a second time. Something was wrong.

Each and every one of them was visibly upset in some way. Some curled up tight, others were muttering in their sleep, a couple of them were breathing hard.

Jesus fucking Christ, were ALL of them having nightmares?

Josh grew worried. He’d never dealt with anyone else having bad dreams before. He remembered the advice his parents were given after his first therapy session: Waking someone during a nightmare could be detrimental to their health. Basically, it was a bad idea. 

He sat down on the edge of the couch, feeling nothing but guilt. As much as it sucked to see them freaking out like this, they’d have to wait it out.

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I'M WRITING THESE CHARACTERS OOC I WILL DO MY BEST TO FIX


End file.
